Traffic signal device



July 12, 1938. J TURANO 2,123,320

TRAFFIC SIGNAL DEVICE Filed July 21, 1936 2 3mm /5 Joe T unma Patented July 12, 1938 PATENT OFFICE TRAFFIC SIGNAL DEVICE;

Joe Turano, Sacramento, Calif.

Application July 21,

1 Claim.

This invention relates to certain. new and useful improvements in. trafiic signal devices.

The primary object of the invention is to provide a trafiic signal device in the form of an 5 illuminated box or casing having a transparent front wall and designed to be carried by automobiles or placed at curves on highways and at railroad crossings with safety signal indicia on the transparent wall for warning motorists and pedestrians of the danger of reckless driving.

With the above and other objects in view that will become apparent as the nature of the invention is better understood, the same consists in the novel form, combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter more fully described, shown in the accompanying drawing and claimed.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a front elevational view of a traffic signal device constructed in accordance with the present invention showing the safety first indicia painted or otherwise impressed upon the transparent front wall of the illuminated casing;

Figure 2 is a horizontal longitudinal sectional view taken on line 2-2 of Figure 1, showing the illuminated casing structure of the trafiic signal device;

Figure 3 is a vertical detail cross-sectional view taken on line 3-3 of Figure 1, and Figure 4 is a detail sectional view of a corner of the casing showing the manner of securing the front glass plate in position.

The tramc signal device comprises a casing, preferably of rectangular formation and having a rear wall 5, end walls 6 and top and bottom walls I, the open front side of the casing being closed by a transparent glass plate 8. To facilitate the mounting of the traflic signal device upon an automobile or for placement at curves on highways or at railroad crossings, a bracket plate 9 is secured to the rear wall 5 of the casing and projects below the casing as illustrated in Figure 1.

A reflector is housed within the casing and includes a central fiat portion Hla anchored to the inner face of the rear wall 5 with curved portions directed forwardly toward the front side of the casing as illustrated.

The'mounting for the transparent glass plate 8 includes a rectangular frame I l, angular in crosssection to provide a front strip l2 and a side flange I3. Bendable clips M are carried by the frame H and are adapted to be bent over the edges of the glass plate 8 as shown more clearly in Figure 3 at the inner side of the glass plate while agasket I is interposed between the glass plate and the front strip l2 of the frame I I. To retain 1936, Serial No. 91,757

the glass plate and holding frame therefor in position at the open front side of the casing, and to reduce the number of points of contact between the casing and glass plate, an apertured inwardly directed struck-out lug I6 is carried by each end wall 6 of the casing intermediate the upper and lower ends thereof and a block I! of substantially the same size as said lug and having a threaded opening therein is soldered or otherwise secured to the forward side of each lug I6. As the lug l6 struck-out from the wall 6 of the casing is formed of relatively thin gauge metal, it would be impracticable to form threads in an opening therein and for this reason, the block ll that constitutes a nut, is carried by said lug. A screw it passes through the front strip I2 of the rectangular frame and also through a relatively narrow cut-out notch 8a in the edge of the glass plate 8 for threaded passage through the block I! and free passage through the apertured lug I6, a washer l9 being interposed between the head of the screw I8 and the front strip l2. The block I! extends above and below the notch 8a and bears against the inner surface of the glass plate at its upper and lower ends. The glass plate 8 is therefore held between the front strip l2 of the holding frame and the clips I 4, the holding frame providing the sole support for the glass plate 8. From an inspection of Figure 4, it will be seen that the block I! is engaged with the inner side of the glass plate 8 at opposite sides of the cut-out notch 8a. It will also be observed that the lug I6 is struck-out from the front end of the end Wall 6 of the casing and. that the forward edges of the end wall at the opposite sides of the opening resulting from the struck-out lug l6 are engaged with the front strip l2 of the holding frame.

A lamp socket 20 is centrally secured in the rear wall 5 of the casing for the mounting of a lamp 2 I within the casing and for communication with an electric conductor exteriorly of the eas- As shown in Figure 1, the glass plate 8 at the forward side of the casing has traffic signals or warnings as indicated by the reference character 22 that are printed or otherwise impressed thereon and are of such character as to promote safe driving, other illustrations denoted by the reference character 23 depicting the causes of accidents and for the purpose of instilling the idea of safe driving in the minds of automobile drivers.

While there is herein shown and described the preferred embodiment of the invention, it is nevertheless to be understood that minor changes may be made therein without departing from the directed apertured lugs carried by the forward spirit and scope of the invention as claimed. edges of the opposite ends of the casing, a block I claim,:- having a threaded opening therein, anchored to In a traflic signal device, arectangular illumithe outer face of each lug with the threaded 5 nated casing open at one side, a glass plate cloopening therein registering with the apertures 5 sure for the open side, said plate having trafiic in the lugs and screws passing through the front signal indicia and symbols imprinted thereon, the strip and lugs and threaded through the blocks mounting for the glass plate including a recfor securing the frame and glass plate in position tangular frame having a front strip overlying the on the casing, the side edges of the casing having front of the glass plate and a side flange overlying abutting engagement with the front strip of the 10 the edge of the glass plate and sides of the casrectangular frame. 7 ing, a gasket strip interposed between the front JOE TURANO. strip of the frame and the glass plate, inwardly 

